Scarlet Red
by Kyono Chukide
Summary: Scarlet is a 14-year-old suicidal, mute, orphan whose life is defined by her scar. Ashley is an average looking girl going to school with some not-so-average bird kids How are they connected? And who will they meet in their quest to find each other?


Dreaming

**A/N: This was originally gonna be a Maximum Ride story, but I love Lorien Legacies so I said, What the hell! No, actually originally this was a story in a write-off me and my friend had, a friend who might be appearing later to write for Ashley- her OC in the write-off. The Loric appear briefly in this chapter, but come back waaaaay later in the fanfic. Mm… maybe 6 or 7 chapters. Until then, enjoy Scarlet Red.**

"Tag, you're it!" I sighed as I untangled myself from the building. Well, I think it's a building. It looks more like a bookcase. White rectangles line up and down in rows of ten.

"Should I count?" I asked, turning around to face my friend

He coiled up in a frustrated red ball "But you always find me!'

"So do you" I replied "And it doesn't help that you glow."

My glowing red friend straightened himself out "I'll count" I rolled my eyes before running off, even as I heard my friend dash after me.

"To ten!" I reminded him. He never liked to wait for me to hide. I jumped over a wall and watched him whine as he ate at the cement

"No fair!" he screeched

"It won't be fair until you count!" I yelled after him as I sprinted off to look for a hiding spot. I scanned the geometric city. Nothing stuck in my head but a shed. It looked distinctly like my shed at home, and the shed in my other dream- the recurring nightmare.

I stopped, even as I heard my friend creep up behind me "You're not even hiding!" he said, or more like thought in his child-like voice. I turned a look of fear on my face.

"Scarlet? Are you okay?" my friend asked. I hugged him tightly, my body racking with sobs as the tears evaporated in sizzles on my friend. My skin burned where it touched him, but I didn't care. He was my only dream friend in this messed up world. I called him friend, but he had never given me a name. He didn't speak, just did things that made me closely guess what he would have said.

He was merely a thatch of lava, and I was the very imaginative person who created him. A little brother I had never-

"Wake up! Wake up! Scar!" A particularly rough shove snapped me awake

"Gah! What do you want!?" I mumbled crossly at the figure above me.

"School" she grunted, kicking the back of my knee viciously "I just wanted to have a reason to shove you off your comfy place." She smiled

If only real friends were as nice as imaginary ones.

"I left the shower nice and cold for you!" A blonde snickered as she walked from a steamy bathroom, toweling her curly hair.

I sighed and grabbed my sketchbook from under my pillow before Callista grabbed and ruined it again. I had let my guard down last month and had to spend my morning freezing my butt off as I fished for them in the retainment pond. The foot thick snow didn't help my situation.

I loved to paint the snowy skyline of everyday Chicago, but blizzards sucked. Natalie shoved past me in the doorway to the bathroom, laughing as she flipped her blonde locks, hitting me squarely in the face. I winced as they whipped across the faint scar that lined my left cheek and curved into my deep brown eyes. That scar had given me my name. Well that and my supremely frizzy black hair that gave me the look of a lion, like Scar from The Lion King.

I dropped my sketchbook on the counter and locked the door, finding myself face-to-face with my everyday problem. I sighed at my reflection, stroking my pink scar as I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. The instructors at the orphanage had told me that my parents had abused me at a young age, and after a brief court case, I was handed over to Mary's.

It was a nice place, if the girls weren't so bitter and heartless. I couldn't blame them though- abandoned by their parents, seeing death at a young age, knowing your parents had to give you away because they beat you. Misery likes company, they say.

I turned on the shower head and gasped as the cold water hit me. I made the shower quick, barely wetting my hair and face. I would suffer the consequences later.

I brushed furiously at my mane, trying to get it to tamper down- no such luck. I sighed and just put it in a loose ponytail that trailed down my back. No matter how much I pleaded to cut my hair off, Ms. Mary merely said she liked it and that I should keep it. At least my long hair hid my face sometimes.

My scar was still angry and red from where Natalie struck it with her hair; scarlet red. That was how I got my legal name at the orphanage. They wouldn't tell me my name from before so I stuck with Scarlet.

I started sketching out my dream, drawing my hiding spot, my friend- I never got his name, and the shed. Even as I drew the shed, I shivered with fear. I didn't know why, but I had a severe phobia of that shed, and the color green. Stupid, I know- to fear a color, but it was all because of that nightmare.

A green monster kept chasing me, around and around my dream city. I hid in the shed, huddled up, hearing him stomp around, looking for me. I cried silently, rocking myself. I heard a shuffle behind me, and I embraced the flower, shivering with fear. The flower shifted so that I was huddled in its petals, protected from the monster.

Suddenly the door to the shed opened, and the green of the monster and the white of the flower consumed my vision. I heard a scream and the flower slumped behind me, losing some of its petals. I saw red in my vision and held my face as searing hot pain slashed through it. The green monster yanked me to my feet and out the door. I looked back to see the flower wilting, dying as it reached out to me. Then the shed closed, and I was on my own with no one to protect me from the green beast.

It was a wonder why I hated Christmas- green _and_red. I shook away the memories and pulled on a red shirt and jeans. I threw on my grey hoodie and walked out of the bathroom, only to be met with Callista and Natalie. I called Natalie Gnat, always buzzing about nonsense, being annoying and in your way. They crossed their arms, looking sternly at me. What'd I do now? I tried to walk past them, but they grabbed my arm roughly. There would definitely be a bruise to add to the list.

"You're no better than the parents who abused you." I whispered.

"What?" Callista demanded

"I said 'You're no better than the parents who abused you!'" I yelled. She look shocked and loosened her grip on my arm. I struggled free but she slapped me, right on my scar. I flinched and she stalked away, looking angry but proud for making me fear her. As if.

I begrudgingly followed them to the bus stop, but I decided to walk to school instead, It was only a mile, and the school bus had a tin of other stops anyway, meaning I usually caught up to it at our middle school. But there was another reason why I preferred walking, and it wasn't the bullies.

I heard a whine from an alley. Looking around, I quickly jumped into his hiding spot and tacked him. "Tag you're it!" I whispered to the pup. I called him Red, because he reminded me of my friend in my dream. I ran off to hide and heard him following me.

I stopped and he stopped. I turned around "Sit" I commanded. He did "Good. Now stay, stay, good boy. Stay." I walked slowly away, making sure he stayed. Then I dashed off and turned the corner, quickly hiding behind a stand of newspapers. The clerk chuckled at me, knowing our little game.

Red came barreling down the corner, nearly toppling as he turned sharply. He looked at the clerk, who shook his head, grinning. Red paced around, knowing I hid somewhere. I let out a snort of laughter when I couldn't hold it in anymore. Red looked up, and I held my breath. Then he jumped in front of me, licking my face. I giggled at the mutt's enthusiasm- he looked younger than his year-old self.

"I gotta go" I whispered, getting up. He whined and I handed him some food. He wagged his white and beige tail "Watch out for him Ethan, okay?" the clerk nodded, wrinkling his eyes as he smiled. I hid my eyes that were filled with tears, hoping he didn't see. Today was the day, and I wanted to make sure I left Red in good hands before I left.

I arrived at school just before my bus pulled in, and I dashed to breakfast and away from Callista and Gnat. I inhale the food and made my way into the halls.

"Hey Scar."

"Love the hair."

"It goes perfectly with your makeup"

"Totally rocking the homeless look"

"That's not makeup."

"Oh, yeah. It's real!"

A group had gathered in the hall and were laughing at me. I covered my face and ran to first period. I exhaled in relief as I reached Art Class, my safe haven. I grabbed a batch of paints and immediately sped to my easel. My nightmare stood, half painted on an 8x12 frame. A green blur covered half the painting, with a black blob in the center of the blur. On the other half, white petals could be distinctly seen to look like a flower. Together they looked like a blurry green and white yin-yang sign, the black blur being the dot in the green and the yellow pollen the dot for the flower. The background was blank, and I blew a stray hair out of my eye as I grabbed black and red paints. After debating it, I grabbed the white and brown, too.

I crossed my legs on the stool, mixing some of the paints together as I planned out the background. I started with streaks of black, making it blur with the yin-yang sign and cover pieces of the top, like my hair. Then I added streaks of red – blood. Hidden behind the curtain of balck and red, I painted a deep brown orb, surrounded by white, watery, and wide- an eye filled with fear.

"What's it mean?" I heard someone say behind me. I jumped, smearing the red paint I had in my brush across the eye and down the painting. _Like a scarlet red scar_. I turned to see Mike, the school's hottest jock. And he was looking at me? At my painting? I blushed. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." He said smiling easily.

"N-n-no. It's fine" I replied, cursing myself for stuttering "It's kind of fitting."

He smiled again "Glad I could help. Is it a dream?"

I shook my head "A nightmare. The green… thing chases me into a shed and the flower tries to help me, but gets killed in the process." I shuddered at the memory and he looks troubled.

"Well why would you- "he was cut off by the bell "I have to get to my next class. See ya." I practically fainted. He was actually acknowledging my existence? _No matter_ I thought to myself _I'm still leaving._ I grabbed my finished painting and wrapped it before delicately placing it in my backpack. I checked to make sure the supplies were still there. Money, food, sleeping bag- check, check, check. I didn't even bother going to my other classes. I had what I came for- my painting. I walked briskly out of school and over the gates- no one saw. No one could help.

I started walking aimlessly, away from Mary's but not anywhere creepy where a rapist could come out and-

"Oh my gosh! I am sooo sorry!" I had run straight into a couple holding hands just outside the Zoo. Aw, how sweet, and my thinking just ruined it. As they turned, I caught sight of something moving on the girls back. _What the-__?_

"It's fine." The brunette said, quickly grabbing his hand again. Suspicious… they walk off, and I started to follow them. I know, creepy, but I had nothing better to do- I was a runaway. I stopped as we entered a dark alleyway. _What happened to nowhere creepy Scarlet? _I quickly hid behind a cardboard box as I watched the couple... standing there. Well, what did I expect? Secret government officials?

As I watched, the two rolled their shoulders back and literally sprouted wings from their backs. The guy had a set of 14-foot raven black wings while the girl sported her own pale, speckled bird-of-prey pair. A brief scream erupted from my mouth and I quickly muffled it with a hand. The two quickly turned, and I gave my best deer-in-headlights impression.

_This is a dream._ I told myself _A really vivid, really clear dream. _Then I blacked out.

I woke up the next morning in an unfamiliar back alley with a pounding headache. It was still better than the orphanage, and a lot more easier- no Callista, no Gnat, no worries. Just a smelly odor and a longing for Red. I remembered my weird dream, but pushed it aside since I _had_ seen weirder in my dream world. My thoughts turned to Red again. I debated it for an hour, but even I couldn't deny friendship. I'll just swing by and… and what? The last time I tried to keep him he lashed out violently, like leashes haunted him. _I'll just visit _I told myself.

Walking around my usual street corner, I was surprised to not be greeted by Red. "Red? Come here pup!" I called out to him. I heard whimpering, and turned down an alleyway to see… a shed. I shuffled back out, but heard the whine again- he was in the shed. I swallowed deeply and walked slowly into the alley. "Red?" I was at the door. I opened it and Red came dashing into the light "There you are bud! You had me worried! How did you-" I started to ask. A shove interrupted me and I fell into the shed, the door locking behind me. I was trapped in the shed. Immediately I started screaming, reliving my dream.

My father, his green eyes so bright as he searched the dark shed. My mother- Flora, holding me close. The knife… "LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT LET ME OUT! PLEASE!" I took ragged breaths, trying to ease the fear. Her scream as the knife sliced through her, killing her. "OUT! GET ME OUTT!" I pleaded. Pounding the door. I heard Red barking but I was already too far gone to snap back to reality.

My father came closer, the knife in his hands. "It's okay, sweetie. You're with me now. Safe"

"GET AWAY FROM ME! STOP! STOP IT!" my face stung and I saw red- blood in my eyes. "PLEASE! JUST STOP!" I wanted it all to go away. My screams weren't alerting anyone. I was all alone with the monster. My screams faded out until they were just whispers that came between my sniffles. "What did I do?" Across from me I saw a rusty nail, left behind like me. Alone, with only one escape…

Callista high fived Natalie before kissing Mike. "Thanks babe. I owe you one." Scarlet's screams finally died out and you could hear her snuffling inside the shed, pleading to no one.

"Should we let her out?" Natalie asked.

"I think she deserves one more minute." Callista sneered. They waited until… slince. As they walked up to the shed, they laughed at their brilliant prank and the priceless reaction. The poor pup was still pawing at the door. They opened it and light flooded in, as well as Red. But Red became his namesake when the horrors in the shed came pouring out. "Only one escape" Scarlet whispered. Callista screamed.

**A/N: Oooooh, Suspenseful! Like Scarlet's story? Want it to continue? Well you don't have a say in it because I've already written half the story! XD Enough reviewers and I might accept whatever changes you have in mind. Remember- Critique, criticize, comment, just leave a review if you want me to continue!**


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